The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie: Highland Pleasures, Book 1

It was whispered all through London society that he was a murderer, that he'd spent his youth in an asylum and was not to be trusted - especially with a lady. Any woman caught in his presence was immediately ruined. Yet Beth found herself inexorably drawn to the Scottish lord whose hint of a brogue wrapped around her like silk and whose touch could draw her into a world of ecstasy.

I have not read all of the reviews of this book but honestly ??? everyone was gushing over Lord Ian ??? but BETH ??? she is hilarious. I loved her dry sense of humor and laughed out loud several times. Poor Ian just didn???t get it, he understood finally that she was joking, but she was laugh out loud funny! Her humor is very dry, and really added to the mystery/tragedy of the Mackenzie???s.

The story was unexpected; Lord Ian is surprising and empathy producing; Beth is strong, brave, funny, unique, and yet very much like ???everyone???. I recommend it and I will listen to it again.

Refusing to believe that she would be abandoned as a young child, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice's old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother’s whereabouts. Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest.

I could not put this down. Ms. Picoult did a lot of research about elephants for this, and the stories and people were well developed. I finished this a while ago and remember it well. The narration was excellent. A surprise ending, very surprising. Definitely credit worthy; I will listen again!

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found a Self-Help That Actually Works

After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure, involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists.

I was pleasantly surprised at how MUCH I liked this book. His stories that lead him to an acceptable form of spirituality for him was excellent. (I have to caveat this by admitting I feel very much the same about religion.) The results of being a war correspondent were not so surprising, completely understandable, and educational. I recommend this book and have already listened to it twice.

The anchor of The O'Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices are not appeased....

A good half of the book was about the last of the Civil War - which if you know anything about it comes as no education. The rest held little to no surprises about how the perps were captured and dealt with. I actually found Dr. Mudd's eventual release completely missing as to why. He was a humanitarian and much admired as a doctor among his captors!

Sapphire Skies

2000: The wreckage of a downed WWII fighter plane is discovered in the forests near Russia's Ukrainian border.The aircraft belonged to Natalya Azarova, ace pilot and pin-up girl for Soviet propaganda, but the question of her fate remains unanswered. Was she a German spy who faked her own death, as the Kremlin claims? Her lover, Valentin Orlov, now a highly-decorated general, refuses to believe it. Lily, a young Australian woman, has moved to Moscow to escape from tragedy.

I really loved this book. It is loosely based on the WWII Soviet pilot Lydia Litvyak who never went into battle without her lipstick and powder. She was brave and audacious. It is a story about Stalin's sick reign that has forever left its mark on Russian society; it is a mystery; it is frightening in a way most cannot understand thankfully; and it is a love story. Well worth the credit. I will listen to it again. Belinda Alexandra has become a favorite author, and Caroline Lee has delivered her usual stunning performance.

Fall from India Place: On Dublin Street, Book 4

Leaving Hannah was the biggest mistake of Marco's life - something he has deeply regretted for years. So when fate reunites them, he refuses to let her go without a fight. Determined to make her his, Marco pursues Hannah, reminding her of all the reasons they're meant to be together. But just when Marco thinks they're committed to a future together, Hannah makes a discovery that unearths the secret pain she's been hiding from him - a secret that could tear them apart before they have a real chance to start over again.

The story was a repeat, but if you listen to these books for the hot scenes then Chloe Lynn's interpretation will be good for you. I felt like I was listening to porn even over a cup of tea. Her Scottish accent was fleeting at best, for the most part, just breathy and slow. If you had not listened to the other books, the character development was poor, then again, if you had not listened to the other books - why would you pick this one out of the line-up? Not good at all, going to return.

Still Missing

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old Realtor, had three goals: sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she’s about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

First, Angela Dawe is one of my favorite narrators; she has the ability to tell me a great story, even if the story isn't so great. This one is very good!

Second, this is a very good story told in an interesting way, as I'm sure you have read, from 26 well earned psychiatric visits. The twist at the end was not surprising to me, it had to be one or all of them, but an excellent twist it was.

The book covers some disturbing aspects of abused and abusers that apparently disturbed some listeners, I found it compelling, heart wrenching, and plausible, which made the story all the more compelling.

The Scottish Prisoner

Winner of the Quill Award and the Corine International Book Prize, Diana Gabaldon is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Outlander series. This fourth novel featuring popular character Lord John Grey is told both from Lord Grey’s perspective and from that of Jamie Fraser, the star of the Outlander series.

I was so dismayed to hear the narrator for Jamie to give him a lisped high pitched voice. The background (sort of) of gay men was uncomfortable. The story was somewhat confusing. I really had a hard time getting into it, and honestly never did. The story provided a distraction from my rather raucous thoughts. I didn't like this book and plan to return it.

The Coroner’s Lunch: The Dr. Siri Investigations, Book 1

Laos, 1975: The Communist Pathet Lao has taken over this former French colony. Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old Paris-trained doctor, is appointed national coroner. Although he has no training for the job, there is no one else: the rest of the educated class have fled.

Dr. Siri Paiboun is an entertaining character. I hope I can be half as openly and politely cynical as he is at 72. He has a great cast of characters that are parallel to the mysteries if not in front. I have no idea what life was like in Laos in the '70s but I'm taking the accounts as somewhat accurate.

This is an entertaining tale, with good mysteries. I will be listening to other books from this collection.

The only thing I can complain about is the names of the characters. There were quite a few with unfamiliar names, but good thing there is rewind.

The Forgotten Garden

Thirty-eight year old Cassandra is lost, alone, and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident 10 years ago, feels like she has lost everything known and dear to her.

I purchased and listened to this years ago, and I have gone back to it several times. I scored it, but never wrote a review.

It is just one of those kinds of listens. Caroline Lee is just wonderful but even a lesser narrator could not ruin this plot. It is complex but not complicated. Emotions from this book is very memorable. I love most of Kate Morton's books, but this one and "The Secret Keeper" are my favorites. Her others and memorable and at least 4 stars each.

I don't know if this review is of any help to anyone except to say that you will not be disappointed. A worthy listen over and over again. It is nice to revisit old, well loved titles.

Murphy's Law

Molly Murphy always knew she'd end up in trouble, just as her mother predicted. So, when she commits murder in self-defense, she flees her cherished Ireland, under cover of a false identity, for the anonymous shores of late 19th-century America. When she arrives in New York and sees the welcoming promise of freedom in the Statue of Liberty, Molly begins to breathe easier. But when a man is murdered on Ellis Island, a man Molly was seen arguing with, she becomes a prime suspect in the crime.

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